Hymns are some of the most beloved songs of all time. Hymnals contain hundreds of songs, and no two hymnals are alike. Anyone looking to learn the most popular hymns needs to know where to start. The following is a list of 10 of the most popular hymns, but of course your list will no doubt vary from mine somewhat: “Amazing Grace”, one of the most popular songs of all time, was written by John Newton. A former slave trader, Newton wrote the words while studying a text from the Old Testament and reflecting on his old life. The tune is a variation of an old Scottish bagpipe song of the time. “Be Thou My Vision” traces its roots to Ireland. The words were written by Dallan Forgaill in the eighth century. Though it was translated from Old Irish into English by Mary E. Byrne in 1905, the tune is still from an old Irish folk song. “Be Thou My Vision” is the most popular Irish hymn in English-speaking churches. “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” was originally a poem written by Joseph M. Scriven in 1855. He wrote the poem to comfort his mother in Ireland while he was living in Canada. The tune was later written by Charles Crozat Converse. “Holy, Holy, Holy” is a popular hymn written by Reginald Heber. Written for use on Trinity Sunday, the lyrics were set to a tune composed by John Bacchus Dykes. The tune was originally called Nicaea, which refers to the Nicaean Council of 325 A.D. Another popular hymn, “Be Still My Soul,” takes its melody from a composition by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. The lyrics were both written and translated prior to Sibelius’s piece. Katharina von Schlegel wrote the original text in 1752, and it was translated into English by Jane Borthwick in 1855. Reverend Augustus Montague Toplady wrote the words to the popular hymn “Rock of Ages” in 1873. His poem was set to music by the popular hymn composer Thomas Hastings somewhere around 1830. Sometimes referred to as the “Royal Navy Hymn,” “Eternal Father Strong to Save” contains references to three different Biblical events. The first verse refers to the Creator’s promise to refrain from flooding the earth again. The second talks of Christ’s miraculous walking on the water. The third speaks of the Holy Spirit’s role in the creation of the universe. The words were written by William Whiting, while the tune is attributed to John B. Dykes. Written in 1912 in Albion, Mich., “The Old Rugged Cross” is certainly one of the most popular hymns of all time. Apart from “Amazing Grace,” it may be the most recorded hymn ever. Performers known to sing “The Old Rugged Cross” include Al Green, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and June Carter. George Bernard wrote the song with help from Charles Gabriel. Fanny J. Crosby, a blind hymn writer, wrote the words of “Blessed Assurance” in 1873 to go along with the melody written by Phoebe P. Knapp in the same year. The story goes that Crosby was visiting Knapp, who was having a pipe organ installed. Knapp played the tune, which she called “Assurance,” and asked her friend Crosby what she thought the song said. Crosby’s response was “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.” The rest is history. “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is a popular hymn that is more recent than most. Its words were written by Thomas Chisholm in 1923, while the tune was composed by William Runyan. The Moody Bible Institute in Chicago claims this as its unofficial hymn, since Runyan was associated with MBI. These 10 popular hymns have been cherished by millions of people for many years. Each of them contains outstanding examples of melody and structure. Even for non-believers, these songs often touch a certain nerve that only the greatest songs can.

EVERYBODY Ought to Learn to Play At Least a Little Chord Piano! There are roughly umpteen zillion reasons why you should learn enough chords to be able to “chord a song” at the piano. By “chord a song”, I mean the ability to play 3 or 4 chords on the piano in some sort of rhythm while you or someone else sings the tune. To do this, you don’t need to be a Van Cliburn; all you need to do is learn a few basic chords and be able to more back and forth between them in some organized rhythmic pattern. For example, did you realize that all of these songs (and hundreds more) can be sung or played with just 3 chords? Auld Lang Syne Amazing Grace Kum Ba Ya Silent Night Joy To The World Jingle Bells Happy Birthday Down In The Valley On Top Of Old Smoky… and hundreds or maybe thousands more! Add just one more chord to the basic 3, and you can play another thousand songs or so. So why not learn a few chords and start your chording career? Here are my top 10 reasons for learning “chord piano”: 1) It’s easy. Learn 3 chords and start in — it’s not rocket science! 2) Even though it’s easy to get started, you don’t have to stop there. You can learn more and more chords and more rhythm patterns and get really good if you choose to. 3) You’ll be able to play “Happy Birthday” while the gang sings it, since it only has 3 simple chords. 4) You’ll be able to play half-a-dozen Christmas carols like “Joy To The World”, “Silent Night” because they too have just 3 simple chords. In case you haven’t noticed, Christmas comes every year, so every year you’ll get better as you participate in family gatherings. 5) You can help your kids learn to play the piano, guitar, or most any other instrument by learning chords. Most teachers don’t teach chords, so you’ll be giving your kids an advantage by learning chords. 6) People will admire you. It’s true. Musicians are popular. Anyone who can play anything is in demand at parties and social gatherings. And if you can “chord” while others sing, you’re bound to be popular. 7) Piano playing using chords is good for your brain. Studies have shown that people who actively participate in music do their brain lots of good. And since chords require 3 or 4 notes at a time instead of one, you are giving your brain a good workout. Piano playing, particularly using chords, is good exercise for your wrists and fingers. (Take the time to learn about correct hand position, though!) 9) Piano playing is excellent therapy for the stress of life. Many professional people come home from a hard days work and relax by expressing their emotions on the keyboard. Play a few dark and angry chords, and you’ll be surprised how much better you feel! 10) Piano playing is a blast. It’s just plain old fun. So learn 3 or 4 chords and get going. Maybe you’ll stop there and enjoy it the rest of your life. But just maybe you’ll love it so much that you keep going and turn yourself into an excellent piano player who can read music as well as play chords! To get started, go to http://www.chordpiano.com

Great spiritual songs that inspire are a part of America’s folklore. Long a part of our nation’s canon of song, we hardly give thought to how they came into existence. Each one does have a story though, which sheds light on the place and time they were born. The following songs are a few examples of great spirituals and their origins. These songs are great for singing around the piano and are a fine addition to any piano repertoire. Amazing Grace Written originally as a poem by John Newton in 1772, Amazing Grace is one of the most popular spiritual songs in America. The music that accompanies the version we know today is a variation of the tune “New Britain.” This music first appeared in 1829 in a hymnal titled Columbian Harmony. The composer is unknown. Amazing Grace is John Newton’s personal thoughts on divine grace and his conversion to Christianity. When the Saints Go Marching In This song is familiar as a spiritual tune often played in New Orleans to accompany a funeral procession to and from a burial. Louis Armstrong propelled the song to great popularity in the 1930s with his rousing jazz rendition. However, researchers point to the Bahamas as the birthplace of the song. A song titled “When the Saints are Marching In” resembles the song we know today. Published in 1896, its lyricist and composer were Katherine E. Purvis and James M. Black. Various titles of the piece appeared over the years. The title we are familiar with received publication in a hymnal in 1927 titled “Spirituals Triumphant-Old and New.” Vocal and instrumental versions of the song play across the land year after year. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot Wallis Willis wrote this song around 1862. The Red River reminded him of the Jordan River, and the references in the song are to the Prophet Elijah going to heaven on a chariot. This song was a favorite of plantation workers in the 1800s. It enjoyed new popularity in the 1960s as part of the music of the Civil Rights movement. Willis was once a slave of the Choctaw Indians. Michael Row the Boat Ashore First published in “Slave Songs of the United States” in 1867, this song began in the oral tradition. The abolitionist Charles Ware wrote the music for the words that freed slaves sung on St. Helena Island in the 1860s. This song speaks of crossing the Jordan River, and the river is a metaphor for crossing over from life to death. The Michael of the song is Michael the Archangel. Go Tell It on the Mountain This song is a popular Christmas tune. It’s a traditional African-American spiritual written by John Wesley Work, Jr. in 1907. The song received publication that year in Nashville, Tenn., in his book, “Folk Songs of the American Negro.” Work devoted his time to preserving African-American folk music. Go Tell It on the Mountain has a rich performance history, with Peter, Paul, and Mary; Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby; and Bob Marley among its performers. The great spiritual songs continue to speak their words to new generations of listeners. They offer hope to those who seek inspirational messages in musical form to help them in their trials. For this reason, they will uplift those who play and sing them for generations to come.

A staple of both spiritual and secular singers alike, Amazing Grace is one of the world’s most popular songs. John Newton, its writer, lived a life full of sin and redemption, which inspired the song’s lyrics. According to Newton’s biography, the words of Amazing Grace show the song was very personal in nature. Newton was born in London. A former slave ship captain when he wrote the hymn, he started his life at sea with the British Navy. He narrowly avoided becoming a slave master in Jamaica. In the Navy, he rose to the rank of midshipman. When he tried to desert, however, he was put into irons and reduced in rank. Newton asked to serve aboard a West African-bound slave ship and ended up on the coast of Sierra Leone. The slave master whom he served was abusive, and eventually he was taken back to England aboard yet another slave ship. During this trip, the ship met a violent storm at sea. Newton prayed for his life as the ship was deluged with water. This was his first taste of Amazing Grace. It marked the beginning of his conversion to Christ. In 1754, Newton was forced out of the slave trade and off of the sea when a serious illness threatened his life. He applied to be an Anglican priest, but in the time he waited for acceptance into the priesthood he also applied to the Methodist and Presbyterian churches. In 1764, he was ordained into the Church of England. Though he was converted, it took some time before Newton regretted his slave trading days. (What else is new? It takes all of us a long time to get our actions in line with our heart.) As he wrote in his lyrics, “I once was lost, but now am found.” Later in his life he became a powerful abolitionist, writing many articles against slavery. Newton originally wrote six verses for Amazing Grace, but modern times have brought about a seventh. Composed by John P. Rees, Harriet Beecher Stowe published the additional and now-final verse in her novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The melody of Amazing Grace isn’t Newton’s own. The exact origin is murky. Originally Amazing Grace was sung using a variety of melodies. A song called Old Regular Baptist was a commonly used melody. Other accounts point to a Scottish bagpipe tune as the basis for the familiar melody, which is a reason the song is often associated with the instrument. A popular myth held that the melody was an old drinking song, though this has been disproved. From Rod Stewart to Kylie Minogue, Amazing Grace has been honored by many voices through the years. It’s even become known as the unofficial Cherokee National anthem, with altered lyrics to fit the Cherokee language. Amazing Grace is an eternal song, both in use and meaning. Its message of redemption applies to any person who turns from his or her sin and cries out to God for forgiveness. For this and many other reasons, it will stand the test of time.